Tears of Love
by Neon Star
Summary: Rating may go higher. Qui-gon is in love with his friend, but she rejects him. He is given another chance at love, but will he take it?
1. Default Chapter

SW belongs to GL, Atrus belongs to me, so does another two chars in the next chapter. Please R/R.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Tears of Love  
  
She was leaving; she was leaving him, the Jedi, everything. And it tore at him as he watched.  
  
"I love you," he said softly; hoping to draw her back, make her stay.  
  
She turned back, her eyes dark with pain.  
  
"Do not say that, not to me," she said softly, nearly pleading.  
  
"I must. I can't let you walk away without saying it. Tell me you feel at least something for me," he said, his voice trembling with his emotions.  
  
A sigh escaped her lips, "Qui-gon, please. I..I can't love you, not as how you wish it."  
  
He reached forward and gripped her arm gently, "Why?"  
  
"Are you so blind? I am Immortal, you are mortal. I shall not go through it again," she snapped, her voice low and heavy, and then she turned away from him.  
  
"Atrus, please," he begged, reaching out to her again.  
  
"No! I am leaving tonight, Knight Jinn, for the betterment of us both," she said, a quiver in her voice, tears in her emerald eyes.  
  
Then she walked away, leaving him reaching out to her, his pleading words echoing after her.  
  
He fell to his knees, and looked after her, still reaching for her. He heard the door shut behind her, and his heart shattered.  
  
"Noo," he moaned, and closed his eyes, trying to hide the tears that slipped down his cheeks.  
  
He had never thought she would reject him. She had always been tolerant of his affections, but now that she knew that he wanted more then friendship...  
  
"Atrus," the name was torn from his throat by a sob.  
  
*How stupid could I have been!* he yelled at himself, *If only I hadn't confessed, if only I had been satisfied with being friends. If only I had listened to her warning!*  
  
Yes, she had warned him. She had pleaded with him when he had grown older, became a knight, and began to see his childhood friend as the truly beautiful and intelligent woman that she was.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Listen to me, Qui-gon, listen to me well. Never fall in love with one such as I," she said softly, turning to him, emerald eyes heavy with the ages she had lived.  
  
"Why not?" he had asked, naïve as he was then.  
  
"Because those like me can never truly grow old, we cannot die, except by violent means. We cannot love or regret, or else we would long since destroyed ourselves," she said, turning those ageless eyes from him.  
  
"A life without love is such a lonely thought," he said, taking her delicate hand in his.  
  
"That may be, but it is as it is. Promise me you shall not love one such as I, you would only mourn until the day of your death," she whispered.  
  
He gently turned her head up so that her eyes met his.  
  
"I promise."  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Oh, how those words haunted him now. He had promised, but his heart had betrayed him, and fallen for her. Her with gentle touches and sweet kisses to the cheek. Her that had a strong spirit and a sharp tongue. Her that had a mastery and presence, as such as he had never known. And yet her of the cold heart, buried under such sweet layers. It wasn't her fault, truly it was not. He knew many men had fallen for, lusted for, her, and could not have her for she rejected all. But he had tried, thinking that since he knew her; he could touch that inner fire, and kindle to him. But it was not to be, and it struck him in the heart, and that is what shattered it. Now she was gone, and he was alone once more.   
  
'You would only mourn until the day of your death.'  
  
She had been right, he would.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. 2

Thank you all sooo much for your excellent reviews, they truly mean a lot to me! I am honored to have you all read my story, and I hope to continue to meet your wishes. Sorry for such a long wait. Here it is. :)  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Looking around, Qui-gon moved through the crowd, his Padawan close behind. The ambassador was running late, and Qui-gon was getting edgy. He sensed that Obi-wan was also tensed, with good reason. The place nearly glowed with danger.  
  
Suddenly he saw an escort coming through the crowds. Putting himself closer to his Padawan, he waited until the escort stopped. The escort consisted of two young seemingly human men, though Qui-gon knew that in fact they were far from human. The two nodded to him, and parted to give him a view of two young seemingly human women. He suddenly found his eyes caught by that of the ambassador, who was one of the young women. It was her....  
  
"It is good to see you again, Knight Jinn," Atrus said softly, smiling sadly at him.  
  
He pulled himself out of his shock and bowed.  
  
"It is a pleasure to see you as well, Ambassador Jagaar," he said, and nearly winced at saying her title, when he had once said her name.  
  
She nodded, "Shall we leave this place? I have urgent business with the Jedi Council."  
  
"Of course," He said, gesturing that she should follow Obi-wan.   
  
Obi-wan took the lead, his hand near his concealed lightsaber. The escort males moved to her sides, and the other woman to her back. And Qui-gon took the rear of the procession.  
  
As they moved toward the exit, Qui-gon tried to keep his mind away from her. But his heart wouldn't let him forget. Old feelings surged in him, stronger then they had been in years. But he had to push past those feelings, and think of her as what she was. She was the ambassador of the Jagaar, a race of guardians. She was here to alert the Council of something, and his duty was to protect her, not an old friend, or a distant love, no, but as the ambassador. He had to keep that in mind, though it hurt his heart to think so of her.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
"Good it is to again see you, Lady Atrus," Yoda said.  
  
They had arrived without incident, though the four non Jedi in the group had been tense the whole time, and were still tense as they stood in the middle of the Council chambers.  
  
"Thank you, Master. But I fear it will not be so well after I deliver my message to you," Atrus sighed, "But perhaps I should explain my escort to you before I continue. This, of course, is my brother Atreas."  
  
Atreas bowed deeply, the hard ice look in his eyes never leaving as he looked over the Council. Qui-gon remembered him well, and wondered what could have changed the happy, intelligent man Atreas had been, into this cold creature that now stood before him.  
  
"My betroth, John. He is of great importance to this matter, but I shall come to that," she paused as John also bowed, "And my sister, and my replacement if anything should happen to me here, Laramie."  
  
Qui-gon felt his heart twist when she had spoke of her betroth. She had told him she could not love; yet here stood testament to her lies! But perhaps it was a forced courtship? He could not be certain, but sadly he hoped it was, for it hurt him deeply to think she could not simply confess she could love, she just couldn't love him.   
  
Then his eyes were drawn to the woman at Atrus's side. She was rather plain looking to her radiant sister, but there was an appeal to her. She had long brown hair, so very different from Atrus's reddish gold color, and it curled slightly. Her eyes were sharp hazel, not penetrating as Atrus's emerald eyes were, but still bright with intelligence.   
  
He turned his attention from her, and back to Atrus, who had begun to speak again.  
  
"I have come to do two things. One, is to tell you of the threat that is growing, even as I speak. For an enemy in my galaxy has come ever nearer to this one, and we fear he may already be working his way inwards, using his influence to gather support. He seeks something as he comes here, something that we cannot protect in my galaxy. Which brings me to the other thing, I wish to plea for protection of my betroth, and my sister. My betroth is the one that our enemy seeks, though I cannot tell why, not yet anyways. My sister must be protected, in case something goes wrong. I plea to the Council to see this done, then I shall discuss further what threatens this galaxy," she said, making known her demands in a soft, pained voice.  
  
"Then we shall see to your request, Lady Atrus," Mace Windu said, then looked to Qui-gon.  
  
"Master Jinn, Padawan Kenobi, stepped forward," he gestured.  
  
Qui-gon moved forward, and bowed, Obi-wan echoing him.  
  
"Would you accept this mission?" Mace asked.  
  
Qui-gon tried to keep the shock from his face, and he noticed Atrus hide a look of slightly disapproval. They wanted him to guard her betroth's life? But of course they didn't know his feelings for her. Could he trust himself to actually do it? 


End file.
